This invention relates generally to bow sights for use by archers in achieving accurate, consistent shooting. More particularly, the invention relates to a bow sight having a novel sighting pin supporting and positioning structure to permit easy conversion of the sight from user-preferential configurations to configurations required for compliance with the rules of certain competitive shooting events. The invention additionally contemplate a novel sighting pin guard and novel structure for carrying range markers, among other features.
In preparing to shoot, an experienced archer will always nock an arrow at the same point on the bow string, draw the bow so that a particular portion of the hand consistently contacts a particular portion of the head, and then elevate or lower the head of the arrow. This procedure assures that the feathered end of the arrow will always be substantially at the same relative position with respect to the eye of the archer such that the only variable affecting the aiming of the shot will be the distance between the target and the archer.
Some archers aim the bow by intuition. Others employ a bow sight to sight or aim the arrow at different ranges. A bow sight may be provided with a single sighting element which is movable along a track extending substantially parallel to the undrawn bow string. The track for the sighting element typically will extend above the arrow rest of the bow and the sighting element is selectively elevated or lowered to a position corresponding to the range or distance over which the arrow travels to the target. For convenience, the sight may have preselected sighting pin position indicators to correspond to a variety of selected ranges. This type of a sight, an example of which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,652, may not be satisfactory for bow hunting due to the considerable amount of time which is required to loosen the sighting element, locate it in a new position corresponding to the estimated distance to the target and then retighten the sighting element.
Another known bow sight employs a plurality of sighting elements, each of which is spaced above the arrow rest of the bow by a different distance. The archer estimates the range or distance to the target and then selects the particular sighting element whose position corresponds to the selected range. The highest sighting element corresponds to a shorter range while the lowest sighting element corresponds to a longer range. The multiple sighting elements are prepositioned by a trial and error shooting procedure. One example of this type of bow sight is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,332,080. My U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,875 discloses an archery bow sight having a plurality of sighting elements which are individually movable between an out position away from the archer's line of sight and a sight-position wherein they extend transversely of the body of the bow and can be utilized for aiming the bow. The plural sighting elements are prepositioned by trial and error on a carrier member to correspond to a respective plurality of different ranges.
Another archery bow sight is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,579,839 as incorporating a vernier adjustment for fine tuning of the range setting after a sighting element has been positioned at an approximate range position. The vernier adjustment includes a plurality of sighting element carriers threadedly received on a lead screw such that the sighting element carriers can be moved upwardly or downwardly as the lead screw is rotated.
Still another archery bow sight is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,822,479 as incorporating an adjusting means for each of a plurality of sighting elements mounted on a lead screw. Each element thus can be moved along the lead screw independently of other sighting elements thereon. Rotation of the lead screw moves all of the sighting elements in unison and a resilient retention means releasably holds each sighting element selectively in a sighting or an out-position.